Although a seat belt will generally restrain a person during an accident or similar event in a car, aircraft, or other vehicle, an airbag can provide additional protection. In cars, for example, airbags can deploy from the steering column, dashboard, side panel, etc., to protect the driver and/or passenger(s). During a sudden deceleration of the car, such as in a collision, the airbag rapidly inflates and deploys in front of, or to the side of, the driver and/or passenger(s). An airbag positioned in the steering column, for example, can expand in front of the driver to cushion his torso and head. The airbag can prevent the driver's head from hitting the steering wheel, and can also reduce the likelihood of whiplash.
Although the airbags described above are common in automobiles, other types of airbags are used in other types of vehicles. These other types of airbags are useful because airbags that deploy from a specific location in an automobile (e.g., from the steering column) may not be as effective in other types of vehicles, or for occupants in different locations in a vehicle. To accommodate different vehicles and different occupant positions, airbags have been developed that deploy from seat belts. Such airbags can deploy from, for example, a lap belt and/or shoulder belt to provide additional protection during a sudden deceleration. Seat belt-deployable airbags can be used in various types of vehicles, including land-based vehicles, aircraft, etc.
Due to the variety of ways in which a seatbelt can be oriented or twisted during use or during a crash, airbags affixed to seatbelts can experience different stresses at attachment points than airbags mounted to rigid structures such as a steering wheel or a doorframe. Moreover, the process of attaching an airbag to a seatbelt and packaging the airbag can also be time-consuming and labor-intensive.